Thursday, 31 May 2012

Plant Identification


Can anyone identify this flower, found growing by the roadside.  Is it a mouse-ear?

7 comments:

  1. Plantaholic Sheila.31 May 2012 at 14:23

    I believe it is Stellaria holostea. Common name Greater stichwort.

    The flowers in your pic appear to have 3 styles.

    See Carl Farmer's excellent site....

    http://www.plant-identification.co.uk/skye/caryophyllaceae/stellaria-holostea.htm

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  2. I think that it is definitely a mouse-ear and looks like Cerastium arvense or Field mouse-ear, though this is not generally found in Scotland. Alpine mouse-ear is found locally in Scotland. The petals are not arranged in pairs as they would be were it to be stitchwort. An interesting one!

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  3. Interesting. Not sure how 5 notched petals can be in pairs?

    Cerastium arvense does not appear to be on record for this area.
    see..

    http://www.bsbimaps.org.uk/atlas/map_page.php?spid=461.0

    Cerastium arvense has 5 styles.
    Maybe I am just not seeing them in the pictures.
    Needs a good close up please Jon.

    http://lh6.ggpht.com/_rWksMjEBTQk/Sa1INKacSJI/AAAAAAAAJVM/-Gd-WdFhcaw/leo-mic-Cerastium-arvense-969.jpg
    Sheila

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  4. P.S.
    Field mouse ear... the calyx is very hairy.
    You pic does not seem to show this Jon.
    See....


    http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&biw=1271&bih=612&tbm=isch&tbnid=XTVcPAy9n4GTNM:&imgrefurl=http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/basin/5petal/pink/cerast/fchick.htm&docid=471w3q1zbFdTRM&imgurl=http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/basin/5petal/pink/cerast/arvense/strictum/strictum1e.jpg&w=376&h=585&ei=s5jIT4rBGoPv8APr-8X0Dw&zoom=1

    Sheila

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  5. It would have been easier to identify if we could have seen the stems and leaves, but we think it is Cerastium Alpinum and not Cerastium Arvense, from the form of the bud and flowers. This is found in Scotland.
    Jane

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  6. Many thanks for all the interest and for the suggestions. I'll try to provide some more pictures.

    jon

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  7. I'd go for Greater Stitchwort. We get a lot here in Cornwall, but saw them on Harris and Lewis last week. Frances

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